The Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway arrives Saturday as the 29th event of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, carrying the added weight of being the first elimination race in the playoffs. With 30 chartered cars and eight open entries listed, the stage is set for a pivotal 500-lap battle at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” For some drivers, it’s a chance to secure advancement, while for others it may mark the end of their championship pursuit.
Key Highlights
NASCAR released a 38-car preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Bristol Night Race, including 30 chartered teams and eight open entries.
Ongoing litigation involving 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR leaves six open entries under a cloud of uncertainty.
Denny Hamlin enters fresh off his Gateway win, seeking back-to-back playoff victories in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Kyle Larson aims to join legends by winning three consecutive Bristol races, a feat last achieved by Kurt Busch in 2004.
Four playoff drivers—Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry—enter Bristol below the elimination line.
A Full Field for Bristol Showdown
This week’s preliminary entry list confirms 38 cars for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Thirty are chartered entries, while eight are open cars, three of which are unchartered part-time efforts. Richard Childress Racing brings Austin Hill in the No. 33 Chevrolet, Garage 66 fields Chad Finchum in the No. 66 Ford, and 23XI Racing enters Corey Heim in the No. 67 Toyota.
The remaining six open entries are occupied by familiar full-time drivers, including Noah Gragson, Bubba Wallace, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, Zane Smith, and Tyler Reddick. Their status, however, is tied up in the ongoing charter-related lawsuit between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR, which has placed their participation in limbo until legal matters are clarified.
Meanwhile, the playoff pressure heightens as the four drivers below the cutline—Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry—look to Bristol as their last lifeline. Only a victory may be enough to save their seasons.
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson Lead the Headlines
Fresh off his 59th career victory at Gateway, Denny Hamlin will pilot the No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. He carries momentum and confidence into Bristol, looking to deliver Toyota another key playoff triumph.
Kyle Larson, in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, seeks a special piece of history. With two straight Bristol Night Race wins already in hand, Larson could become the first driver since Kurt Busch (2003–2004) to win three in a row. His pursuit of a streak places him alongside names like Fred Lorenzen, Cale Yarborough, and Darrell Waltrip.
With Hamlin surging and Larson chasing records, Bristol is shaping up as a showcase of established dominance colliding with playoff desperation.
Elimination Line Tightens Ahead of Bristol
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is the first of three elimination events in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and it holds dire consequences for four drivers. Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, faces immense pressure to perform at his team’s sponsor-backed event. Shane van Gisbergen, a four-time winner this season in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, finds himself 15 points out of transfer after setbacks at Gateway.
| S.No | Car | Driver |
| 1 | 1 | Ross Chastain (P) |
| 2 | 2 | Austin Cindric (P) |
| 3 | 3 | Austin Dillon (P) |
| 4 | 4 | Noah Gragson |
| 5 | 5 | Kyle Larson (P) |
| 6 | 6 | Brad Keselowski |
| 7 | 7 | Justin Haley |
| 8 | 8 | Kyle Busch |
| 9 | 9 | Chase Elliott (P) |
| 10 | 10 | Ty Dillon |
| 11 | 11 | Denny Hamlin (P) |
| 12 | 12 | Ryan Blaney (P) |
| 13 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 14 | 17 | Chris Buescher |
| 15 | 19 | Chase Briscoe (P) |
| 16 | 20 | Christopher Bell (P) |
| 17 | 21 | Josh Berry (P) |
| 18 | 22 | Joey Logano (P) |
| 19 | 23 | Bubba Wallace (P) |
| 20 | 24 | William Byron (P) |
| 21 | 33 | Austin Hill |
| 22 | 34 | Todd Gilliland |
| 23 | 35 | Riley Herbst # |
| 24 | 38 | Zane Smith |
| 25 | 41 | Cole Custer |
| 26 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek |
| 27 | 43 | Erik Jones |
| 28 | 45 | Tyler Reddick (P) |
| 29 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 30 | 48 | Alex Bowman (P) |
| 31 | 51 | Cody Ware |
| 32 | 54 | Ty Gibbs |
| 33 | 60 | Ryan Preece |
| 34 | 66 | Chad Finchum |
| 35 | 67 | Corey Heim |
| 36 | 71 | Michael McDowell |
| 37 | 77 | Carson Hocevar |
| 38 | 88 | Shane van Gisbergen (P) # |
| 39 | 99 | Daniel Suarez |
Alex Bowman, piloting the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, enters Bristol trailing by 35 points, while Josh Berry, in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, sits 45 points down and nearly in a must-win scenario. For each, Saturday night may define their entire playoff journey.
At the top of the field, Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell enter with stronger cushions, yet Bristol’s half-mile chaos threatens to upend even the most secure positions. With 500 laps of relentless action, fortunes can change in an instant, and playoff dreams can end against the unforgiving concrete walls.
News in Brief: 2025 Bass Pro Shops Night Race Entry List
NASCAR’s preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol confirms 38 cars, including 30 chartered teams and eight open entries. Denny Hamlin looks to add another win after Gateway, while Kyle Larson seeks a historic third straight Bristol victory. Four playoff drivers—Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry—enter below the elimination line in a must-perform scenario. The charter lawsuit adds further uncertainty for six open entries.
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